must only obey now, Andy. Remember I love to do my share!"
Tears stood in her brave eyes, and Andy understood.

Andy fell asleep almost at once. The hot bath took the pain from his
sore body, the clean, worn linen was cool and soothing, and the droning
of the bees in the near-by hives hushed sorrow and weariness into deep
oblivion.

And while he dreamed of peaceful walks with the master under sunny
skies, and smiled in the dreaming, Ruth had summoned Janie, and the
mother sat waiting patiently the awakening. There was much to tell and
more to do. But Andy dreamed on.

Four o'clock! The tall clock in the living-room spoke loudly. Andy
stirred and muttered something, then slept again.

Five o'clock! The boy sat up on the narrow bed and stared into his
mother's face.

Janie never flinched, though his pallor and the cut on his forehead made
her heart ache.

"Mother, I must get to Washington at once. I--I have a message."

"Yes, son."

"I do not fear death. It comes but once!"

"Yes, Andy, lad. But I'm thinking you'll not be meeting death just now.
It looks like you were singled out to live and act for all my old
misgivings. God forgive me."

She bowed her head and it rested on Andy's shoulder. Stern Janie had
never done such a thing before, and even at the moment Andy was touched
and moved. He smoothed the hair away from the pale face, and gently,
lovingly kissed his mother.

"There are strange happenings, Andy," she sighed.

"There are, indeed," he agreed.

"But things about which you know nothing, lad, and--and I must tell you
before you go. Get up; dress, son. Ruth and I have made decent your own
clothing. I can talk better while you move about. I cannot bear your
eyes, my lad." Andy arose at once and began his dressing, keeping his
face turned from his mother, but her own was rigidly set toward the
window.

"Your father has come back, Andy!"

A strange pause, then:

"My father!" Andy had dropped into a chair. The sentence had deprived
him of strength to stand. He knew his mother never wasted words, or made
rash statements. His father had come back! And Andy did not know that
his father was alive. In fact, knew nothing of him, and that struck him
for the first time with stunning force. Janie's back was straight and
firm.

"Yes, your father. I kept it all from you. I meant to tell you some day,
Andy, but time passed and you asked no questions, and I--I thought
everything was past and gone forever.